One Of Rachel's 'Bachelorette' Contestants Is A Meninist — Yes, Really

Prepare to roll your eyes and internally cringe. There's a detail about a certain Bachelorette contestant that may prove he's not good enough for Rachel Lindsay after all. I'll just cut to the chase: Lee Garrett may identify as a meninist — at the very least, he seemed very into the idea in a tweet last November. And even if he's joking, I have one question: Why? Seriously, please explain.

Last fall, Lee tweeted a (now broken) Facebook link, writing, "'Meninist'?... I have found my calling." Maybe this shouldn't be all that surprising from someone who refers to himself as "Pleasantly Offensive" in his Twitter bio (don't worry, he also claims to be "Facetious"). So it's unclear if he's kidding or not. But if he's not? Oy. Vey. (Bustle reached out to ABC about Lee's tweets, but they declined to comment.)

In case you're not familiar with the phrase, "meninist" is a satirical movement that's supposed to be the male equivalent of feminism (even though, as you probably know, feminism is all about equality for both sexes.) I'll let Urban Dictionary explain the full definition: "A (satirical) belief showing the hypocrisy of first world feminism by flipping the sexes and complaining about men's rights in a similar way to what first world feminists do."

For Lee to be hopping on the meninist bandwagon, or even just joking about doing so, proves he's not on Rachel's intellectual level. He can't be. She's a strong-willed career woman who goes after what she wants in life. She's educated, compassionate, and passionate — and I've gathered that just from watching her on a TV show. I bet in person she's even more badass. Plus, she tweeted in January that she believes in equal rights for women.

@on_roses I would definitely consider myself an advocate for women receiving equal rights.

That tweet is all the proof you need that Rachel deserves better; she deserves a romantic partner who doesn't engage in backwards internet jargon. Meninism doesn't take women or their voices seriously, and that in and of itself is problematic. As Refinery29's Sesali Bowen puts it, Lee may be this season's villain and I can't help but agree. In addition, Bowen pointed out that Lee once tweeted the phrase white privilege in quotation marks, as if not taking the subject seriously.

I can't deny that it's a fitting sentiment, considering how some of his old posts may reflect his character. I highly doubt he thought Bachelor Nation would see these tweets.

ABC/Paul Hebert

Long story short, Rachel is a history-making Bachelorette. She's the first woman of color to lead the show and she's helping the series take steps forward, simply by being herself. And in many ways, Lee feels like a leap backwards with his seemingly close-minded viewpoints that don't value women and mock real issues. Rachel (and every woman) deserves so much more.